The Fall of Percy Jackson: Book II
by Predator Drone
Summary: SEQUEL TO: THE FALL OF PERCY JACKSON. For years, Percy and Annabeth have lived in peace following the Primordial War as the Dark Primordials' commanders above ground. With reawakening threats, ancient enemies and friends returning to earth, and their own allegiances put on the line, will they make it out alive? Or see their own demise? (Dark Percy. Hard T/M rating)
1. Reunion

**Finally Back on this site and boy does it feel good. Again, my deepest apologies for taking so long with this story. I promise that I won't leave you all with a three-year wait ever again.**

 **If you are new to me or this story, then welcome! This is a sequel to my story** **The Fall of Percy Jackson** **I wrote when I was 14/15 years old. That was super fun to write and is a good read. It is dark Percy themed and completely finished. You can just start this one, but a lot of things will be unclear and make zero sense. So read that story (it's a short 100k words, don't worry ;) ), come back and start the sequel up!**

 **Anyway, again, thank you all for the support. So glad to be back.**

 **Now, Let's get to it, shall we? Remember to review! That's what drives me to keep going! :)**

 **I do not own PJO or HoO, I only own my OC's and plot ideas** **.**

 _A boy, clutching a horn in his left hand, stumbled onto a wooden porch, before collapsing, hitting the deck with a loud_ thud. _Two stern faces stared down at him, one of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's. Both looking down at him, the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."_

 _"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."_

 _The lights and colors distorted, haze seeping into the image, before refocusing inside of a summer home situated on Long Island._

 _He was being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding. The girl with curly blond hair hovered over him, smirking as she scraped drips off his chin with the spoon_

 _When she saw him open his eyes, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"_

" _What?" he managed to croak._

 _She looked around, as if afraid someone would overhear. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"_

 _"I'm sorry," the boy mumbled, "I don't..."_

 _A loud knocking on the door could be heard, and the girl quickly filled his mouth with pudding. The next thing the boy knew, she was gone._

 _The image twisted and contorted in a serpentine manner, with no clear geometric pattern in the visuals dancing about. The picture settled one final time on the deck of the same Long Island house._

 _"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl._

 _She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."_

 _"Sure, Chiron," she replied._

 _She shared the same age as the boy, perhaps having a couple of inches of height on him. With her flowing blonde hair and deeply tanned skin, she resembled the stereotypical southern California girl, except her eyes failed to match the look. They were gray stormclouds, dancing about her irises like the overcast in the breeze._

 _She stared at the Minotaur horn in the boy named Percy's hand, and much to his shock, failed to comment on it. Instead, she stared him directly in his sea-green eyes, and said the following:_

 _"You drool when you sleep."_

 _The image flashed about, the colors caressing around the girl named Annabeth, before fading to black. Except it wasn't black, but more like the absence of all color. A man floated alone in the darkness, searching for any sign of life around him. He was met with a deep laugh filled with an archaic tone, as he began to fall, colors now spiraling around him, dancing in their serpentine manner, coming closer and closer and closer and–f_

 _"Percy..." the blonde haired girl said. The image jumped back to the base of a hill, a pine resting on the top._

 _She pursed her lips. "you won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least...not without sending me an Iris-message?"_

 _The boy managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."_

The warm breaths of the woman at his side awoke him from his sleep. Eyes blurry, squinting in the light, he tried to focus on the heap of blonde directly in front of him. As the image settled, he smiled, the sun gleaming off his beautiful wife's golden hair, curling at the end, and floating just above her right eye.

"Oh Annabeth," he whispered to himself. The two of them had been through so much that it would seem unnatural to wake up without her by his side. Quests stretching across the world, to the heavens and down into hell, retrieving ancient artifacts, fighting Gods, Titans, and monsters galore, as well as each other for a period that lasted far too long in Percy's eyes. His otherworldly after his resurrection had restored his vision of her and erased the betrayal he felt during the war. After all, she was his Wise Girl.

His gaze left her, jumping around the beautiful architecture of the room, designed by Annabeth herself. The bed rested atop a cloud, the pathways leading up to it and the floor of the room being transparent, with a full view of New York City below it. Water streamed around the fringes of the room, gently flowing in a calming manner. The architecture was black as night, contrasted with the stark white of the clouds, but they preferred it that way.

The Mendins, small yet burly workers, along with a few demigod children of Hecate, had constructed this room following the Second Primordial War. After all, they lived to serve their Primordial masters, especially their ruler above ground: the fabled Percy Jackson.

Percy's eyes returned to Annabeth's face, examining each and every detail that he knew like the back of his own hand; the curve of her nose, the arch of her eyebrows, point of her chin. He knew every inch of her and loved it as if it were his own. Percy smiled, her warm breath blowing onto his face.

Annabeth's eyes fluttered, slowly peeling open in a groggy wake-up daze. He gray eyes struggling to focus on the image around her, before resting on Percy, causing her to smile. She leaned in for a kiss, and Percy happily met her in the middle.

"Good morning, Seaweed-Brain." Percy grinned.

"Hey there wise girl. Sweet dreams?" he asked her. Annabeth opened her mouth– cutting herself off with a grin– and then proceeding, saying, "It as more of a memory. Do you remember the first time we met, that summer more than 60 years ago?"

"I just had the same dream," Percy said, smiling at Annabeth. "You spoon fed me ambrosia, wiping the–"

"–drool from your mouth!" Annabeth laughed, play hitting Percy on the shoulder. "You were such a dork."

"Hey, I still am a dork, Wise Girl!" Percy teased. Annabeth laughed again, rolling out of the covers, revealing her beautiful bare build to her husband. She snapped her fingers, and was immediately covered in a black t-shirt, black jeans, and black Converse shoes. She turned to Percy, who was biting his lower lip, and winked.

"It's far too early in the morning for that, Percy. You're gonna have to wait." With that, she walked out of the room, and across the cloud pathway back to the main section of Olympus, hips swaying with each step she took. She still had the build of an early twenty year old, blessed with the gift of immortality by the Primordials of Night, Darkness, and the Pit. Percy was the same. Locked in the body of a youthful lord, intelligent and reasonable, yet agile as he would ever be. A deity's gifts were not to be refused.

Percy yawned, hopping out of bed himself, reflecting on the events leading up that moment, starting with the dream he had had. Why was his dream sequence of the first day he met her? Why was the dream focused around her? And why did it shift in the middle to something that seemed... he didn't know how to describe it. All he knew was it was abnormal. He and Annabeth didn't normally share dreams. In fact, it was a rare occurrence, happening only in dire times in the past.

He shook it aside. Nothing significant had bothered the two of them in a full year since Zade and Thalia's disappearance from their service. He and his Primordial lords scoured the earth for them, but they came up with nothing. It was as if the siblings had vanished into thin air. The children of thunder were the few remaining echoes of Zeus, the lightning in the skies dormant for the past 50 years.

"A lot has changed since then," Percy muttered to himself, dressing himself the old-fashioned way. As much as he liked the gifts from his masters, he preferred to live life as normally as he could, despite living in a palace in the clouds above New York City.

Percy walked to the throne room after getting dressed, admiring the architecture and redesign of Olympus. Streams flowed on the side of every path and road, flowers blooming all around, and the gardens were more beautiful than ever. Many nymphs, satyrs, and nature spirits sided with the Primordials after the war in order to preserve nature, their home. A wise choice, Percy thought.

After ten minutes of walking, stretching his legs on the trek to the throne room, Percy finally arrived. The fireplace in the center of the room crackled, but what caught his eye was a familiar looking gray-eyed boy of about 17 years old. He had jet black hair and a goofy smile like a particular son of Poseidon. Percy smiled at his son, standing next to Annabeth.

"Orion! What are you doing here?" he asked, excited to see his son. Orion had spent the last year training with Adrastos at Camp Half-Blood, where he trained the campers who had sworn allegiance to the Primordials instead of living out their lives in Tartarus. Another wise choice, Percy thought.

The thought of his old friend and comrade brought back foul memories of being killed. Percy dreaded that day, as his honor was temporarily harmed. He was bested by his subordinate, who was clearly less powerful than him. Percy brushed the feeling aside. His death was necessary, after all.

"I'm just visiting for the day. I've been working so hard on learning these knew combat techniques that Adrastos and the other camp leaders gave me today off!" Orion exclaimed. Annabeth smiled at her son's excitement. They only got to see him about once a month. He had lived with his parents for so long that the Primordials, and even Annabeth and Percy, had thought it would be best for Orion to learn to be more independent.

"Man, I haven't been up her in ages," Orion exclaimed, wandering to the edge of the throne room, to be able to look over the side of the pathways. "You can't beat that view of New York City." Percy followed his son, patting him on the back.

"You're right about that, Orion. You're right about that." Annabeth smiled at her husband and father of her child. Despite their split 50 years ago when Percy was banished by Zeus to Tartarus, they had ended up together like they always wanted. She stroked the ring Percy had gotten for her all those years ago; two diamonds on either side of a sea-green emerald, engraved with the words: _I will always love you, Annabeth._ She never expected the Olympians to betray her as well like they did Percy.

At least that was what she thought. Deep down, Percy knew that the Primordials had altered her perceptions of the past. It made it easier to keep her in line and Percy happy after winning the war.

Orion yawned, tired from his many weeks of rigorous training.

"I'm going to sleep for a few hours, guys. I know it's morning but I am absolutely exhausted. See you soon," Orion said, walking off to his room. Percy and Annabeth smiled at the image of their son walking away from them, independently living out his life. They exchanged a look of approval with each other, a _we did it!_ sort of look, before locking lips, with all the passion of their youth.

The two stood there for a minute, embraced in this passionate kiss, like they were the only two people in the world. They separated, but not because they wanted to.

A strange feeling entered Percy's mind. Something he hadn't felt in decades, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. It was as if a warmth engulfed him, but it wasn't pleasant or too discomforting for that matter. It was just kind of... there. Like an itch he couldn't scratch. He pulled away from Annabeth and gave her a concerned look.

"Do you feel that?" he asked worriedly. Annabeth nodded, looking around the room, confused at the presence entering their personal space. It seemed to be looming with more power, growing in pressure and warmth with each passing second. Percy was oddly affected by it more than he should have been in the throne room of all places. After the war, much like the Primordials, he retired many of his god-like powers to the throne room, as harnessing the raw power coming from the blessings of three Primordials everywhere he went could have ripped his soul apart, despite his immortality. He was still strong and powerful, similar to when he was first blessed by Tartarus and Erebus, able to shadow travel and control the power behind his name.

The warmth became almost scalding. Annabeth and Percy's anxieties continued to grow. Their eyes darted around the room, their uncomfortable auras only feeding off of each other, as if the heat was melting them from the inside out. Percy and Annabeth both began to sweat, feverish beads of water sliding down their now pale faces. As Annabeth's breathing became more erratic, Percy struggled to walk the few feet between them in order to help her. For a brief moment, Percy had the inkling of a thought that this could be the end, until a loud _CRACKLE_ could be heard from the fire pit in the middle of the room.

The heat receded, and the presence dissipated from the air.

 **:) HOW WAS THAT? Please let me know in the comments. The first few chapters will be slower. Gotta build the plot before the action, so stay tuned. I can assure you that you will most certainly NOT regret sticking with this sequel.**

 **Again, I'm super happy to be back and doing this again. I really love this book series so much and writing my own take on them it a phenomenal feeling, and it makes me even happier that I have gotten so much support from all of you.**

 **So, the wait will be short before the next chapter comes out, but until then, review, favorite, follow, and get ready for shit to go down!**

 **DEUCES!**

 **-PD**


	2. A Family Mission

**Here is chapter two! hope you like it!**

 **As always, leave your reviews! They motivate me to continue writing and I love hearing your feedback, constructive criticism, and overall impressions.**

 **Now, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HoO, I only own my OC's and plot ideas.**

The wind whipped through the trees, whistling like an owner calling its dog back to the home before the night of a storm. It breathed through the vines, leaves, grass, and shrubbery, as if the foliage was sentient, moving as humans do. The fragrance drifting out of the flowers left a soothing aroma in the air, letting anyone around know that everything was going to be alright. There was nothing to fear. An easy fallacy to buy into, but a fallacy nonetheless.

"Stay on guard," Annabeth said. Percy and Orion nodded, the three of them trekking through the woods of Montana, heading south towards Yellowstone. Percy was asked by his masters to assess his son's readiness for the field, and Percy recommended restarting the search for the Primordials that had been on hiatus since Zade and Thalia's disappearance would be the perfect test for Orion. Not only that, but these types of quests were better with three people, and with Adrastos having his hands full at Camp, Orion was the natural choice to accompany his mother and father.

There were few Primordial Gods still around, as over the eons the vast majority had faded. However, four major Primordials remained dormant, their presences hidden in the world. Tartarus and Erebus thought it worthwhile to search for four in order to stir them from their slumbers and awake them to reclaim the world. With no luck finding Pontus, and without better means to search throughout the oceans for him, the natural second Primordial to find was Phusis, Primordial Goddess of nature, with Yellowstone being a natural place to find such a deity.

The three trudged along, stepping over fallen trunks, avoiding the puddles from the last patches of snow-melt from Winter. Percy peered at his son, noticing a change in his pace.

"How are you on water, Orion?" he inquired. Orion rolled his eyes at his father.

"Dad, I'm fine. I've had plenty," he responded in an annoyed tone. Percy pulled the water out of a nearby patch of snow, contorting it with his mind into his son's empty canteen. Percy gave Orion a stern look before urging them all to keep moving. Orion rolled his eyes again, as Percy motioned that he was going to scout ahead a little bit.

When he had left, Annabeth approached her son. She saw so much of Percy in him it reminded her of times before the war. Before everything went to hell. But she too saw herself in Orion, headstrong and stubborn as a pack-mule on a trail, refusing to let up when the conditions became too perilous. She placed a hand on Orion's shoulder.

"Percy is just looking out for you, Orion. He's always been that way for all of his friends. His loyalty doesn't just go away, especially on a mission. You know this, don't you?" she asked. Orion looked around, clearly irritated, knees bouncing with anticipation. _He has the ADHD of his father, too,_ Annabeth thought to herself.

"I get that mom, but I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm eighteen years old for Gods' sake. I knew he wasn't babysat like this when you two were saving the world at this age," he replied. He did have a point, Annabeth noted.

"Yes, but Percy and I pretty much provided for ourselves for the fair amount of our childhood. I ran away from home and lived at Camp for years and Percy had his mom, true, but had to put up with his abusive step-father and had no father figure to look up to. He's just trying to be present for you, Orion. He didn't get to grow up with his dad. None of did," Annabeth said, referring to her Godly parent as well. She seemed to miss her mother, but remember Athena's betrayal at the end of the war. She could never forgive her mother for that.

Orion nodded, his position swayed a little by his mom. He had never been exposed to what had been normal demigod life, especially having parents as monumental in the shaping of the world as his.

"I never really thought of it like that, mom." Annabeth smiled, glad her son's perspective had changed even just a little. Percy returned a few minutes later, with a grim look on his face. He put a finger to his lips, letting them know that silence was of the essence.

"You will not believe this, Annabeth, but in a clearing at the bottom of this hill are two Soldiers of Light talking with the Naiads of the hot springs!" he exclaimed quietly. Annabeth's eyes widened.

"That's impossible! Aether's forces were wiped out by your army after you defeated him," Annabeth said. Percy shook his head, thinking the same thing. Orion looked between the two, clear confusion on his face.

"Is this the same Aether's whose giant greatsword is built into your throne on Olympus?" he asked. His parents nodded, Percy reminding Orion to keep his voice down.

"Yes, but the fact that some of his warriors escaped is dire news. Who knows what they have been up to for the past sixty some odd years. This could be bad, Perce," Annabeth said. The grim look returned to Percy's face, who asked his family to crouch down behand a nearby trunk.

"There are only two of them, but they are incredible soldiers, as you saw at our final battle during the war. I'm also not at my full power, so we can't just steamroll over them. Annabeth, you and Orion will take the larger of the two, and I will try to use the hot spring's water to blind the other one. We'll hide in the shadows as much as we can, but I'm unsure how hidden we will be in their presence. Remember, there are about ten Naiads in this hot spring. Let's make quick work of Aether's warriors so we can try to find out about Phusis from them while avoiding conflict. All clear?" Percy asked. His wife and son both nodded, Orion flashing his pearly whites with excitement. This was his first mission with his storied parents, and he was ready for anything. At least he thought.

Percy, Annabeth, and Orion slowly sneaked their way down the hill, shifting from tree to tree, behind rocks and bushes, moving with the grace and ease of wolves stalking their prey. Light on their feet, they continued to creep down the decline, careful not to snap any branches, displace any large rocks, or attract any attention to their location. They were a dagger heading towards their enemy as the late afternoon sun began to dim, initiating the region's vivid sunset.

The boredom crept in as fifteen minutes passed, and Orion's mind began to wander as they slowly crept down the hill, which could have taken them only a few minutes to get to the bottom of had they no fight to worry about. What would these soldiers fight like? What were the Primordial Gods like? And more importantly, what did his parents fight like in battle? The questions raced through his head, his fingers growing twitchy with anticipation. All these questions and no answers; torture for the hyperactive mind of a demigod and their offspring.

When they finally reached the bottom, Annabeth gestured for the three of them to take cover behind a large rock that had a view of the hot spring. Percy followed behind her and crouched down, gesturing for Orion to do the same. Orion crept over and took his place beside his parents. Annabeth peered around the rock, but to her surprise, no one was there. She turned back and gave Percy a worried look.

"The spring is empty, Percy. Are you sure you saw Aether's soldiers here?" she inquired, skeptical of the entire situation. Percy shook his head in disbelief.

"Honey, there were two of them standing right there twenty minutes ago. They can't be far, so we should stay on guard." Annabeth and Orion nodded, and the three of them started to get up, but Orion suddenly stopped, tapping his parents to do the same. They halted, curiously looking at their son.

"What do you sense?" Annabeth inquired. Orion put a finger to his lips and then pointed to his ears. In the silence, their family could pick up on a buzzing noise, sounding almost like a massive salt shaker as it increased in volume. The air around the hotspring began to get brighter, the illumination became brighter and brighter and—

 _BANG!_

Three flashes exploded by the hot springs, revealing the white and gold tunic and armor outfits of not two, but three Soldiers of Light. The third one, seeming to be the newcomer, was a female brandishing a long spear with Greek writing on the side spelling out _The Light in the Darkness For All Mankind._ Percy rolled his eyes, before turning to Annabeth and Orion. He patted his son on the back, and gestured for the three of them to listen for a minute to see if they could learn anything from Aether's former soldiers. Percy cloaked the three in the growing shadows as the sunset became dimmer and dimmer, a trick he picked up in the last half century of training. They were unseen to the naked eye, but Percy knew it was unwise to creep any closer to agents of Light itself, as his cover could be made obsolete.

The woman looked around the clearing, seeming to stare into the soul of everything around her, before turning to her fellow soldiers.

"Where are the Naiads you speak of? We have no time to waste!" she urged. The two men exchanged nervous glances and walked over to the hot springs.

"Kyra, Lyndis, are you still here? We've brought our Lieutenant like we said to speak to you and your sisters," one of the men said. The hot spring bubbled, the water growing restless, as a beautiful, naked Naiad emerged from the waters. Another burst up from the springs next to her sister. Orion's eyes widened at their beautiful figures, and he could have sworn he saw another dozen faces on the surface of the water. Annabeth lightly smacked her son on the arm, scowling during the process. Percy bit his lip, stifling a laugh. His boy was all grown up.

"Ah yes, Aether's men have returned to grill us with even more questions. What a lovely way to end this lovely day, isn't it, Lyndis?" the one named Kyra asked. Her sister rolled her eyes.

"Look, lady, we'd love to chat for longer and all, but it's still spring and it's nighttime and we get cold easily. Could you hurry it up with whatever it is you want to talk to us about?" her sister Lyndis said. The Lieutenant of Aether stepped forward, blazing gold eyes darting between the two.

"I don't think you understand the seriousness of the matter. Lady Hemera has been missing for decades since Aether's demise, and we know that Mother Nature can find her for us!" she exclaimed. Annabeth shot a concerned look at Percy, who appeared to be deep in thought.

Lyndis had a confused look on her face. "Are you saying that Gaea can find her for you? I thought she was gone as well?" she asked, innocently. Her sister Kyra masked a smirk, but it was quickly wiped off her face with a serious expression when Aether's Lieutenant banged the butt of her spear on the ground, causing a bright flash of light to pulse through the clearing. Kyra gulped.

"I don't have time for your games! You know I refer to Phusis! Tell us what you know, and we'll be on our way. Hurry, though! _They_ could be here soon!" she ordered out. Percy twisted his head. Who was _they?_ Was it Percy, Annabeth, and Orion? Or someone else? He made a mental note to find out.

"Okay, fine, but don't be disappointed. None of us have even communed with Phusis in millennia. She's probably asleep somewhere like the rest of your Primordial lot. Now, can you leave us be?" Kyra responded, the two sisters beginning to shiver. The Lieutenant looked annoyed, but sighed, nodding at the Naiads. She gestured to her fellow soldiers that she had no further questions for the Naiads. The sisters sank beneath the water, giggling at the male Soldiers of Light on the way down, the contrast with their previously annoyed affect confusing the soldiers. The Lieutenant snapped at them, and they quickly hustled back over to her.

"Damn! We need to find Lady Hemera if we're to kill that bastard and restore the world to balance. Those damn Primordials knew they had to stay out of mortal affairs... Now the reckoning's coming, all thanks to that _Percy Jackson,_ " she spat, the air filling with the scent of salt water before Percy's last name even rolled off her tongue. Her eyes widened, as if she knew what that meant. Percy uncapped riptide, gesturing to his wife and son to prepare for battle.

" _Here?!_ He can't be! Hold them off wherever he is! He must not know how to find us!" she barked, as the light around her grew brighter. With a flash, she vanished, as the last traces of sunset slipped behind the Rocky Mountains to the east. The two Soldiers of Aether drew their weapons, looking right at Percy, Annabeth and Orion, the flash from their Lieutenant revealing the three servants of the Dark Primordials.

"Prepare to die, Jackson! You'll pay for what you did to our commander!" one night yelled. Percy laughed, contorting the hot spring's water into a jet that sprayed the other soldier in the face. The hot water burned his skin, his screams echoing throughout the ensuing dusk.

"The only people dying tonight are you two. Annabeth! Orion! Let's show them why messing with the Jackson family is bad news," he said, his wife and son rushing to his side. Aether's soldier who received the burning spring water to the face growled, drawing his white and gold sword and shield, charging at the three. Annabeth and Orion ran up to engage him, Orion parrying a strike aimed at his mother while Annabeth sidestepped, her Celestial Bronze knife, now reinforced with Primordial Obsidian, drawn and ready for action.

Percy charged at the other soldiers with great speed, their blades meeting with a loud _CLANG!_ Percy pushed him back, then feigned a strike at the soldier's head, before redirecting it towards his torso. The Soldier of Light blocked both strikes, counterattacking with ferocity Percy had not faced in a while. He checked himself mentally. _Focus, Percy. You're much better than him, you're just out of practice_ he thought.

The soldier lunged at Percy again, slashing three times at Percy head, sword-arm, and then legs, all of which Percy blocked, although he had to jump over the low strike. He returned with a powerful two-handed strike from above, slashing down at the Soldier of Light with the tremendous force of a colossus. The Aetherian soldier's knees buckled slightly, and Percy knew he had him.

Meanwhile, Annabeth and Orion were double teaming the other soldier, trying to work her way around his more defensive technique. Unfortunately, Annabeth's weapon choice limited her options for head-on combat. She had to rely on Orion to deliver the bulk of their joint attacks, while she tried to slip under the soldier's guard, but with his large shield, that was very difficult to do.

"Orion! Remember your training!" she yelled to her son. Orion nodded, hitting the edges of the man's shield with the flat of his sword, the bulwark reverberating with each strike. He could hear the Aetherian soldier grunting, his arm shaking with fatigue. Orion smiled. Adrastos taught him that move.

After a few more strikes, he rolled to the side of the soldier, prepared to slash at his exposed flank. Turning to defend himself, the Soldier of Light forget about Annabeth, her knife penetrating his back. He coughed up blood, gasping for air, and dropped his weapons. At the same time, Percy had dispatched of his combatant, and made his way over to the fallen, yet still alive servant of Aether. He strolled up in front of him, and took a knee, getting in close to the warrior's face.

"What did your Lieutenant mean when she mentioned a reckoning?" Percy asked, his curiosity flaring up from early. The question had been nagging at him the entire fight. The Soldier of Light's face turned even grimmer than his receding pallor made him appear.

"YOU and your masters made a grave mistake, Jackson. Prepare for the fight of your lives," he gasped out, his heart rate slowing. Percy scowled, and turned to his son Orion.

"Are you prepared to kill this enemy of ours, Orion?" he asked his son, who had not taken another human's life before. Orion gulped and nodded, taking a step forward, sword-hand twitching with excitement. He brought his sword arm up, prepared to swing at the servant of Aether's head. He swung down with great speed, but much to his father's surprise, stopped before he reached the soldier's head.

"I— I don't know if I can do it, dad," he choked out, ashamed. Percy rolled his eyes, quickly bringing Riptide down on the Aetherian soldier's neck, severing it clean off of his soldiers. It bounced off the ground, and rolled towards Orion, his eyelids still twitching like they were alive. Orion looked down at them in horror, turning to Annabeth, his mother, for comfort. She gave him a warm look and hugged him, clearly understanding of his situation. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Orion. You are going to have to take life at some point in the near future. You can't be a warrior and afraid to kill people at the same time," Percy said with strained patience. Annabeth shot him a glare, that said _Not now._ Percy threw his hands up, frustrated at the both of them.

"It's okay Orion. The time will come when you know you are ready," she said to her son. He nodded to his mom.

"Sorry, dad," Orion said to Percy. Percy threw up his hands again, clearly keeping himself in check by not talking. The only thing he could imagine worse than his masters' wrath was Annabeth. Not even the Wrath-Bringers could scare him like an angry Annabeth.

Percy waltzed over to the hot springs, putting his hand in the warm water, not feeling burned, but rather, refreshed by its properties. The two Naiads quickly popped out of the water, their naked figures gleaming in the moonlight, and looked horrified at the scene.

"Stay away from us, monster! We don't want to talk to you!" the one named Lyndis yelled. Kyra nodded, splashing water on Percy's face. Orion chuckled, and Annabeth held back a giggle. Percy sighed, wiping the water off of his face.

"I just want to talk about Phusis, even though I know that you haven't communed with her in millennia. Just tell me where you think we can find her and I will never bother you, or your sisters, again," Percy said, his patience thinning with each passing second. Lyndis and Kyra sighed in unison.

"Look, we already told them everything we know! She's probably asleep in some ancient grotto like the other Primordials are. We have no idea where! Why should we?" Kyra said, clearly annoyed. Percy, not wanting to kill the Naiads, threw his hands up a third time in defeat.

"Alright, we'll leave. Thank you." The sisters sneered and receded under their waters. Percy turned back to his family.

"Let's head home, shall we? We've been out in these blasted woods and hills for far too long," he said. Annabeth and Orion agreed. As the three prepared to shadow travel to Olympus, Percy couldn't help but think about whatever reckoning was coming for him. There was no way whatever remained of Aether's army could start an insurrection. Could they? And what about Hemera? He hadn't heard that named in years. He had a lot to tell his masters in his debriefing in a few days.

More importantly, the thing the troubled him the most was whoever _they_ was referring to. He shook the feelings aside, and the three of them stepped through the shadows, appearing at Olympus seconds later. After saying their goodnights, Orion went to bed, and Annabeth and Percy stayed up for a few more minutes in the Throne Room, relaxing while staring at the beautiful New York City skyline, lights glimmering in the night.

As if on cue, dread filled their hearts as that warm feeling returned, creeping up their skin like a spider determined to burrow under its victim's skin. They locked eyes in fear, as the heat became blisteringly hot, but, oddly, receded before either one of them felt any strong discomfort. Annabeth and Percy nodded to each other, silently agreeing to hurry to their room before anything else happened. The firepit in the Throne Room crackled in the night, emitting a soothing glow throughout the dark, and now empty, Throne Room.

As they hustled back to their room, Percy couldn't help but feel like he was being watched, and he knew that Annabeth felt the same way.

 **This was really fun to write! Hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Liked it? Hated it? Predict something will happen? Let me know in a review! I'd love to read it :)**

 **Next chapter should be up in the next weeek. Stay tuned, everyone!**

 **-PD**


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